According to a study published in the journal Brain, the biomarker, called "brain-derived tau" or BD-tau, outperforms current blood diagnostic tests used to detect Alzheimer′s-related neurodegeneration clinically. As a result, a group of neuroscientists from the University of Pittsburgh developed a test to detect a novel marker of Alzheimer′s disease neurodegeneration in a blood sample.

The lead author of the study noted that, at present, diagnosing Alzheimer′s disease requires neuroimaging, which is expensive and takes a long time to schedule. Also, a lot of patients do not have access to MRI and PET scanners. Hence, by applying their knowledge of molecular biology and biochemistry of tau proteins in different tissues, such as the brain, his team has developed a special antibody to selectively detect BD-tau while avoiding free-floating "big tau" proteins produced by cells outside the brain.

In the study, the researchers validated their assay using 600 patient samples from five independent cohorts, including those from patients whose Alzheimers disease diagnosis was confirmed after their deaths, as well as from patients with memory deficiencies indicative of early-stage Alzheimers.

The findings of the study showed that levels of BD-tau detected in blood samples of Alzheimer′s disease patients using the new assay matched levels of tau in the CSF. Thus, it reliably distinguished Alzheimer′s from other neurodegenerative diseases. 

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1034070 )